Kamala Harris Honors Tyre Nichols At His Funeral & Calls For Police Reform: He ‘Should’ve Been Safe’

Vice President Kamala Harris honored Tyre Nichols as she spoke astatine his funeral astatine Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church successful Memphis connected Wednesday, February 1. Harris was brought connected signifier by Rev. Al Sharpton who delivered the eulogy for Nichols. The vice president erstwhile again called connected legislature to walk the George Floyd Justice successful Policing Act, arsenic she had successful her archetypal connection aft the footage of Nichols being beaten by constabulary was released.

.@VP Harris remarks astatine Tyre Nichols Funeral: "This convulsive enactment was not successful pursuit of nationalist safety…Was helium not besides entitled to the close to beryllium safe? So erstwhile we speech astir nationalist safety, fto america recognize what it means successful its truest form. Tyre Nichols should person been safe." pic.twitter.com/rZp0UrlVI1

— CSPAN (@cspan) February 1, 2023

At the commencement of her speech, Harris addressed Nichols’ parents and spoke astir their spot done this heartbreaking time. “You person been bonzer successful presumption of your strength, your courage, and your grace, and we mourn with you. The radical of our state mourn with you,” she said. “We person a parent and a begetter who mourn the beingness of a young antheral who should beryllium present today.”

She continued and said that the constabulary did not enactment successful the involvement of nationalist safety, arsenic seen successful the video footage that was released. “This is simply a household that mislaid their lad and their member done an enactment of unit astatine the hands and the feet of radical who had been charged with keeping them safe,” she said. “When we speech astir nationalist safety, fto america recognize what it means successful its truest form. Tyre Nichols should’ve been safe.”

Harris sat beside Nichols’ parents during the service. (Andrew Nelles/AP/Shutterstock)

Harris finished her code by calling connected Congress to walk the constabulary betterment bill, and concluded by quoting the biblical verse Luke 1:79. “God volition assistance america to radiance a airy upon those who beryllium successful acheronian and successful the shadiness of death, to usher our feet successful the mode of peace,” she said. “Let our representation of Tyre radiance a airy connected the way toward bid and justice.”

After the footage from Nichols’ confrontation with the constabulary was released, Harris released a connection mourning his nonaccomplishment and called for constabulary reform. “Tyre Nichols should person made it location to his family. Yet, erstwhile again, America mourns the beingness of a lad and begetter brutally chopped abbreviated astatine the hands of those sworn to support and serve. The footage and images released contiguous volition everlastingly beryllium seared successful our memories, and they unfastened wounds that volition ne'er afloat heal,” she said successful a statement. “The persistent contented of constabulary misconduct and usage of excessive unit successful America indispensable extremity now.”

Harris continued, and she echoed calls for “accountability and transparency” and called connected Congress to walk the George Floyd Justice successful Policing Act arsenic well. “We indispensable physique trust—not fear—within our communities,” she said. “Congress indispensable enactment with urgency and walk the George Floyd Justice successful Policing Act. To genuinely grant Tyre Nichols’ memory, and the representation of truthful galore others earlier him, we indispensable request that our justness strategy lives up to its name.”

After Nichols’ death, his mother RowVaughn Wells vowed to person justness for her lad during an interrogation on The View on Monday, January 30. “It conscionable hurts maine to my core, and that’s wherefore I americium going to combat until I person nary much enactment to marque definite that we person justness for my son,” she said.

Harris arrives successful Memphis for the funeral. (Gerald Herbert/AP/Shutterstock)

Nichols’ decease sparked protests and further calls for constabulary reform, particularly aft the footage was released, showing officers beating him. Five of the constabulary officers progressive successful the incidental person been arrested and fired. They person been charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, 2 charges of aggravated kidnapping, 2 charges of authoritative misconduct, and 1 complaint of authoritative oppression. Since the footage was released, 2 much officers person been placed connected administrative permission and were nether investigation, per The New York Times. 

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